Without Trust There is No Love
by S.C. Preclarus Noctis
Summary: 'You'd be scared too,' Ginny whispered. 'Knowing that you're starting to fall in love with someone you're forbidden to, knowing that this wasn't supposed to happen like this...I'm scared of falling in love with you.' "
1. Hello

  
**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. They all belong to the great J.K. Rowling. I also do not own the song by Evanescence, "Hello".  
  
Author's Note: I think it's supposed to be sad. Uh, the song doesn't really fit, but that's ok. Enjoy, hate, review…whatever. Just don't flame…if you have nothing good to say about it then don't review it. That's what I always do. I have feelings too you know!! *sobs* hahaha j/k …No, I'm not kidding about the feelings part…but…ok you know what I'm trying to say just READ THE DARN THING!   
  
**

**Chapter 1: Hello**

  
  


_Playground school bell rings again  
Rain clouds come to play again  
  
  
_

_  
_ Outside, the dark, gray clouds gathered together. The wind blew gently, making the trees sway steadily. Even from inside the train, Ginny could hear the thunder rumbling loudly outside. She looked outside with tears blurring her vision. All she saw was gray blurs mixed with the green of the trees. The sun hid behind the clothes as if the thunder scared it...then, rain fell down. The wind sounded like a scream or a howl of anger. The tears of the clouds poured down and it splatters the window. The rhythm of the rain was steady. The thunder rumbled occasionally.

  
  
Ginny was still wearing the black dress robe from the funeral. She hadn't been wearing anything else but black. Now, she didn't even bother changing back to her Hogwarts uniform. Even though the train was about ten minutes away from Hogwarts, she just stayed in the complete black robes. She was alone in the train compartment. Ginny preferred being alone...she didn't want anyone's comfort. She could deal with it herself. Ron was probably in another compartment with Harry and Hermione. The thought of touching her cold hand and sobbing at the funeral made Ginny feel worse. She couldn't think anymore. All she felt inside her was pain and sadness.

  
  
It seemed like it was only an hour ago when it happened...when she was called up to Dumbledore's office. When Ginny arrived in his office, puzzled, she found that Ron was there too. Mr. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, and the person she never wanted to see again...Percy were all there. She had asked what was going on. She had glared at Percy with so much hatred, and she had asked why he, in particular, was here. But then, Ginny realized that Percy was crying, and he wasn't the only one that was. Only she and Ron stood there in bewilderment. Suddenly, Ginny's stomach had dropped. She had realized her mum wasn't there...  
  
_Has no one told you she's not breathing?  
  
  
_

  
"No..." she had said. Ron still looked confused.

  
  
"I'm sorry, Ms.Weasley. I regret to tell you that your mother was killed in the hands of Voldemort." Dumbledore had said sadly. 

  
  
The words "killed...mother...Voldemort" all rang in her ears. Ron seemed to have grown pale. Tears had filled his eyes, but he didn't let them fall. Ginny stood there for ten seconds, and she couldn't feel anything. Then, it had hit her like a thousand bricks. It had seemed to be more painful than the Cruciatus Curse. It was slowly torturing her soul.

  
  
            "No." she whispered with tears quietly falling. Percy attempted to say something to her but she had glared at him and said, "Don't you dare say anything to me, you bastard. You made Mum cry whenever your name was mentioned or whenever she thought of you. I hope you feel guilty, now. Now you can't even say sorry to her because _she's dead_!"  
  
  


Then, she had broken down. She kneeled right in front of everyone and sobbed uncontrollably. When Ron tried to comfort her, even through his tears, she pushed him away and ran out. She started saying "No." to herself while she was running towards the lake. This couldn't be happening...no...Not like this...What did Mum ever do? Ginny had thought while sobbing.

  
  
Ginny closed her eyes and tried to erase that memory. When she told her friends, they didn't say anything. They were too scared to talk to her, thinking that she can be easily offended if they said something wrong. Instead of comforting her, they left her alone in a compartment. Some friends. They weren't her friends anymore. She'll just be alone at Hogwarts. She didn't give a damn if she was an outcast.  
  
_I don't need anyone_. Ginny thought to herself.  
  
  
  


_Hello I'm your mind giving you  
Someone to talk to  
Hello  
_  


Then, the compartment door slid open. Someone walked in. Ginny didn't bother to look up.  
  
"Well, well, if it isn't the youngest Weasley..." said a cold voice.  
  
It was Draco Malfoy. He was probably jumping with glee when he heard the news from his father, Lucius Malfoy, one of Voldemort's most faithful Death Eater. Ginny was sure that Malfoy was going to start making fun of her now. Instead of telling Malfoy off, like she usually does, Ginny just sat there not saying a word.  
  
"You should at least wipe your tears, Weasley." Malfoy said sitting across from Ginny, smirking.  
  
Ginny had not noticed that her face was tear- stained. She didn't even notice that she was crying. It was normal for her now, like breathing. You breathe and not notice really, but crying and not noticing? She still didn't answer Malfoy. To her surprise, Malfoy handed her a handkerchief. Ginny hesitated, but she took it and started dabbing her eyes. Ginny sniffed and tried to stop crying; she failed miserably. She didn't cry loud, no, not in front of Malfoy, yet she cried silently. She was waiting for Malfoy to start making fun of her, but he didn't. Malfoy just looked at her with a blank expression.  
  
After a while of silence, Ginny looked up and looked at Malfoy. Tears were still in her eyes.  
  
  
  
"W-what do y-you want?" she asked.  
  
It was Malfoy's turn not to answer for a while.  
  
"Sorry, Weasley. Really sorry about what happened." Malfoy said, suddenly. His expression was still blank.  
  
"Like you really m-mean that." Ginny choked out, now glaring at him. Then, she started to cry again. How she hated life right now! How she wished that this was just a nightmare, and she would suddenly wake up in her dormitory, knowing that it was just a dream! Ginny stood up and looked at Malfoy with pure hatred.  
  
"Y-you're n-not s-s-sorry at all! You don't care! Because your d-dad works for the b-bastard that killed my mum! I b-bet you're just s-so happy that a W-weasley died!One less Weasley in the world right?!" Ginny screamed through her tears. She collapsed on the floor and sobbed like she did in Dumbledore's office.   
  
Malfoy got out of his seat, and he bent down and lifted her from the floor. When she was standing, she looked into Malfoy's gray eyes. They were not cold and mean like they were all the time. Instead, they were sad. Suddenly, Malfoy's lips met hers.   
  
_If I smile and don't believe  
Soon I know I'll wake from this dream  
  
_ When their lips were no longer together, Ginny opened her eyes and looked at him.  
  
"I really am sorry, Ginny..." Malfoy said.  
  
Ginny shook her head and more tears came into her eyes, blurring her vision again. "Don't try to comfort me, Draco. It will only make me feel worse..."  
  
For all she knew right now, Draco could be lying to her. The kiss could have meant nothing to him, but it meant something to her. Tears trickled down Ginny's cheek. Draco wiped them away, not knowing that Ginny realized he had tears in his eyes too.  
  
Ginny smiled and Draco said, "You're beautiful."  
  
_Don't try to fix me I'm not broken  
Hello I'm the lie living for you so you can hide  
Don't cry  
_  
  
  
Draco kissed her softly on the lips, and she kissed back. _This has to be some sort of a dream!_ Ginny thought to herself. _I'm kissing a **Malfoy**! This can't be happening. _

Draco pulled her into a hug and kissed her on the forehead. Then, he let go of her and looked at her for a second. Without another word, he left, leaving Ginny staring after him wondering if what just happened was all true.  
  
  
_Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping   
Hello I'm still here  
All that's left of yesterday  
_  
   
  
  



	2. The Test

**_Without Trust There is No Love_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has to do with Harry Potter. The title came from Moulin Rouge when they were just about to sing "Roxanne". I own absolutely nothing except for this plot that seems to be going nowhere.**

**Author's Note: Woo! Go me. I have continued on to my 'plotless' story! readers groan Yes, I know I suck. If you have read one of those old second chapters, then forget about it. I was writing late in the night and constantly rambling. But now… I can't have anymore insomnia moments because of school. Oh well. Enjoy! **

**Chapter 2: The Test**

As Draco Malfoy slid the compartment door shut, he smirked and shook his head. A Weasley just fell for one of his nasty tricks. However, it wasn't for his own pleasure, it was an order from Lord Voldemort. He wasn't a Death Eater yet, but this was final test to complete. After this, he would officially become a Death Eater just like his father always wanted him to be. After this, he would have the respect he wanted from others. After this, he would finally prove to his father that he wasn't weak.

Ever since he was young, his father has never said he was actually proud of him. He never got a pat on the back and have the words "I'm proud of you, son." said to him. No matter what Draco did, it didn't make him what his parents wanted him to be. He wanted them to be proud of him for something _he_ achieved. He didn't want to be compared to Potter and be told that he should've done better than him. But each time he tried, it just brought more disappointment to them, especially to Lucius.

This test was given to him by the Dark Lord, two weeks ago…

_Draco stood in front of the Dark Lord, waiting for his instructions. The room was dark, but a dim candle gave away some light. He was facing his back much to his relief because the Dark Lord's face made him shudder. Other Death Eaters were standing by, their eyes lowered to the ground._

_ "Do you believe you are capable of becoming a Death Eater, Draco?" Voldemort asked. _

_ "I believe I am." Draco replied._

_ Turning around, he looked at Draco with cold, red eyes. His face was chalk white, and he looked like a very poisonous snake. Draco lowered his eyes, for he did not want to meet the red ones that were staring at him. He was told by his father, Lucius Malfoy, to never look at the Dark Lord straight in the eyes. It was most terrifying._

_ "What makes you think so," he hissed. "Is it because you are the son of Lucius?"_

_ Draco did not reply._

_ Laughing a little, the Dark Lord said, "No, I can't give you the Dark Mark that easily. I'm afraid you're much too young, and I have my doubts that you will stay completely loyal to me."_

_ Lucius Malfoy, hooded and casting his eyes downward, stepped forward and said, "Do you suggest that we wait until he is older?"_

_ "No, I think another test will do." replied Voldemort._

_ "What kind of a test?" Draco blurted out before thinking._

_ "Do not speak when spoken to, Draco!" hissed Lucius, fiercely. "I am so sorry, Master." He added to Voldemort._

_ "What kind of test?" echoed the Dark Lord. "It will be a test that will prove to me that you are capable of becoming a Death Eater. It's a test that will measure how cruel you can be."_

_ "What must I do?" asked Draco._

_ "You must make an old friend of mine fall in love with you and make her believe that you love her, as well. She's a foolish girl who believed everything I said to her. I'm sure this test will be simple, Draco. You're lucky I'm going easy on you." Seeing the puzzled look on Draco's face, he laughed and said, "Don't you know whom I am speaking of?"_

_ Draco shook his head._

_ "Ginny Weasley."he answered, "You must make her fall in love with you, but you cannot fall in love with her. If you happen to do so, you will fail this test because that only proves to me you are weak and too soft."_

_ "That won't be a problem." Draco said through gritted teeth._

_ "I should hope not." Voldemort drawled. "You would be a disgrace to your father if that should happen…You wouldn't want that, would you?"_

_ He let out a, what sounded like, an evil laugh and said in a threatening tone, "And I would have to kill you if that happened. Only the weak fall in love, and I can't have someone weak among my followers. Even if you weren't a Death Eater, you were well on your way to becoming one…"_

_ After the meeting, Lucius and Draco Apparated back to the Malfoy Manor. Draco went straight to his room, feeling very confident about the test. Despite the threat, Draco did not feel a bit nervous. Not until Lucius came in his room, threatening him. He grabbed his arm violently and pointed his wand to his neck._

_ "If you happen to fall in love with that Weasley," hissed Lucius menacingly, "I will kill you myself."_

_ "You think I will? Do you doubt my strength that much, father?" Draco said, quietly, not even struggling._

_ Without answering, Lucius released Draco from his grip and pocketed the wand. Draco could see that there was disappointment in his father's cold eyes. Another word was not spoken between the father and the son. A few seconds later, Lucius left the room, slamming the door behind him. _

That was what Draco was to his father: a great disappointment. As long as he could remember, that was the only thing he was…

Draco would be sure that he didn't fail this one last test, but something was already telling him that he would not succeed. It was the way Ginny Weasley looked at him after he kissed her. Her eyes gave him this warm feeling inside him. Her eyes told him she was innocent and fragile. Her eyes were filled with tears of pain, anger, and a bit of bliss all mixed together into one.

A sudden rumble of thunder, made Draco shake away those thoughts. He was being stupid, and he knew he, no matter what happens, _could not_ fail this final test. Besides, he would never fall in love with her because she was a Weasley, and he was a Malfoy. It just would not work out. Weasley had probably already fallen for him because of his great acting skills back in the compartment. How he managed to get tears in his eyes was unknown even to him. Was it genuine pity?

He had to admit, for a slight moment, he did feel sorry for her. Her mother had been killed recently by a Death Eater, and that must be the hardest thing to go through. Even though he had always hated the Weasleys, he just couldn't help to feel bad for them. But this sympathy must stop. Lord Voldemort knew that Draco would start feeling sorry for Ginny, which gave him reason to threaten him with death. It was Draco's weakness, and Voldemort had sensed it already.

Draco shuddered and pushed away the thought that Voldemort could read his mind.

Then, the train came to a slow stop. Realizing that he had been standing right outside of Ginny's compartment the whole time, Draco quickly walked towards the exit of the train. Soon, he was followed be a wave of students who poured out of the other compartments. Outside, the rain was still continuing but only as a light sprinkle. The once angry howls of the wind now calmed down into a soft whisper that felt cool upon Draco's face.

When Draco saw Ginny come out of the train, he had an urge to walk towards her, but he knew he must not. Instead, he shook his head, and went in the opposite direction to see if he could find Crabbe or Goyle.

_Only the weak fell in love._ He thought to himself.


	3. Weakness

**_Without Trust There is No Love_**

****

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has to do with Harry Potter; they belong to the genius, J.K. Rowling. I barely own the title because I got it from Moulin Rouge. I own nothing except for this very boring plot.**

**Author's Note: I am…tired. I don't know what to write.**

**Chapter 3: Weakness**

If only the weak should fall in love, then Ginny was probably one of the weakest. Her infatuation with the famous, Harry Potter proved that she easily fell in love. But after she got over him, never again did she fall back in the bitter hole of love. Of course, Ginny did date Michael Corner in her fourth year, but she didn't consider that love. Nor was Dean Thomas who she dated in fifth year. Without knowing why, Dean and Ginny broke up in the middle of her fifth year. It was probably because they just had nothing in common.

But now, her weakness came back to haunt her. Through denial, Ginny tried to push it away, yet he lingered in her mind. His eyes, his touch, his words, and his kiss were constantly torturing her, and without knowing, she was falling into his trap. Ginny could not understand why she wasn't disgusted by his touch. Ginny could not understand why she didn't slap him when his lips were pressed softly against hers. However, deep inside herself, she knew exactly why.

As Ginny exited the Hogwarts Express, she started her way towards the carriages alone. The clouds still covered the night sky throwing down sprinkles of rain. A once furious wind calmed down into a gentle breeze. Everything in nature seemed to be at a blissful peace. Among the crowd, Ginny saw a familiar giant, Hagrid, calling out to the first years to cross the lake. To look for Ron, Hermione, and Harry, Ginny turned around to see if they were behind her. Surprisingly, she saw Draco in a distance. But he was turned around as well but facing no one.

Before she could figure out why, Ron had appeared right beside her along with Harry and Hermione.

"Hey," she said. "Shall we go find a carriage?"

They nodded, and together walked towards the carriages which were pulled by invisible creatures called thestrals.

"Where were you on the train?" asked Ron.

"Oh, I was just needed some time alone," replied Ginny "To think."

Without saying another word, Ron had climbed in the carriage that Harry had found unoccupied. Ginny followed, then Hermione, and Harry. Once they were in, the carriage started to move towards the grand castle of Hogwarts. Silently, the four of them sat, uttering not even the slightest sound. The silence was most awkward to Ginny and rather uncomfortable. Seeing that no conversation was going to start soon, Hermione quickly pulled out a book and began reading. Ron started fiddling with a piece of thread from his robes, and Harry just looked outside.

Ever since Ginny's mum had died, it has been like this. All words were at loss from then on. Only silence comforted them because no other words could…

When the carriage stopped, Harry opened the carriage door and climbed out, followed by the rest. Other carriages had stopped as well, letting out all the other students of Hogwarts. From second year to seventh year students, all rushed their way into the Great Hall. In the Great Hall, the ceiling was the same as the sky outside: cloudy and dark. There were even the little sprinkles, but the drops of water disappeared as it fell down from the enchanted ceiling. Candles stood afloat in midair, lighting up the Great Hall.

Ginny, Ron, Harry, and Hermione sat side-by-side at the Gryffindor table. When everyone in the hall was seated, the first years had come in the doors. Shaking and trembling, they followed Professor McGonagall to the front. In the front of the Great Hall, there stood a stool with a dusty hat on top. Silence came upon the students as the hat revealed a mouth and began singing the sorting song. After the song had ended, everyone broke into applause. Then, the sorting ceremony began…

Ginny did not pay attention to the first years. Instead, she began looking at the blonde who sat at the Slytherin table. From the looks of it, he did not pay any attention the Sorting Ceremony either. Instead, he seemed to be very interested upon looking at his empty plate. Crabbe and Goyle were seated next to him looking stupider by the second. Pansy, who sat across from Draco, kept whispering something to him. Either way, he wasn't paying attention to anything.

Could he be possibly thinking about her?

Soon, without even knowing, the ceremony had ended. After the last applause, Dumbledore stood up, and the hall was once again quiet.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, first years." Dumbledore said, "And welcome back, fellow students. I have a few announcements to make to all of you. As you know, the Dark Forest is forbidden to all students. Secondly, I must speak of the war…that is taking place soon."

Dumbledore paused and looked at all the students.

"Lord Voldemort," Some students gasped and winced. " Came back to power two years ago. Within these two years, he has been preparing for this war. He has been gathering followers…I must tell you all to be aware of this war. Hogwarts may be in danger, but I doubt it…"

The hall was still silent. Ginny caught a few smirks at the Slytherin table, and she immediately knew why they were smirking. All the Slytherins were probably among the followers of Lord Voldemort.

"On the lighter note, please welcome back Professor Lupin who will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year." Dumbledore said.

The Gryffindor table broke into a loud cheer because Lupin had been the best DADA teacher, compared to the rest. When they stopped, Dumbledore lightly said, "Tuck in" , and the feast began.

Suddenly, food appeared on their plates. The first years stared at their plates in a wide-eyed shock. Everyone else, who were all very hungry, started eating as soon as food had appeared. Ginny only ate a little because her stomach felt already full. She asked Hermione, who was Head Girl now, for the password into the Gryffindor tower.

"Aren't you hungry, Ginny?" asked Hermione, concerned.

"Don't worry. I'm fine." Ginny said with a small smile.

"Well, okay…it's 'thestrals'." Hermione said, still with a tone of concern in her voice.

"Thanks."

Ginny got up from the Gryffindor table and left the Great Hall. The corridors were silent and dark. Only a few torches were lit, but Ginny could still make her way to the stairs. Again, she was alone. The thoughts of her mother began to come again, but she closed her eyes and pushed them away. She couldn't bear to think about her mother again. It pained her too much, and the pain would kill…Tears began to form behind her eyes, but they did not fall. Not yet.

"Thestrals."she muttered to the fat lady before being asked the password.

With a huff, the portrait opened, revealing the common room. It was, of course, empty. Right away, Ginny climbed up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. Once she reached the sixth year dormitory, she found that all her things were already brought up. Blurred by tears, still, she fell upon her bed. Tears silently rolled down her cheeks, and she closed her eyes. Sleep took over her…

_By darkness, she was surrounded. All around, she heard laughter; an evil laughter. Ginny groped her way through the dark paths that led her to nowhere. But the laugh, the evil laugh, grew louder and louder as she went on. Then, she saw him. She saw Lord Voldemort standing above the body of her mother, Molly Weasley, laughing. Ginny ran to her mother and kneeled down beside her. Ignoring the fact that Voldemort was right there, she began to shake her as if hoping her mother was just asleep. But never did Molly Weasley stir. _

_ "Mum! WAKE UP!" she screamed._

_ "Ginny, she is dead." Voldemort said, looking at her with his frightening red eyes._

_ "No, she's not! Get away from me! GET AWAY!" Ginny screamed, glaring at him._

_ Voldemort,of course, did not move. Frustrated and scared, Ginny stood up and foolishly whipped her wand out of her pocket. Still glaring at him, she shakily pointed her wand at his chest._

_ "Ginny, do you really wish to kill me?" Voldemort said, with no expression at all. His face was white as a corpse's, and the look in his eyes could kill. Voldemort looked like one of the living dead who had been rotting for years and years. _

_ Then, before Ginny's very eyes, Voldemort transformed into his sixteen year old self. He turned into the handsome Tom Riddle she once knew. Riddle kneeled down with Ginny and looked at her straight in the eyes. His eyes were such a brilliant green, and Ginny seemed to be hypnotized by them. But she quickly looked away, still trying to wake up her mother. _

_ "Do you really wish to kill the one who knows you the best?" he asked, softly caressing her cheek._

_ "You know nothing about me…not anymore." Ginny hissed. Instantly, she pushed his hand off her cheek._

_ "Oh, but I do, Ginny." Tom said, quietly. Reaching into his pocket, Riddle pulled out a familiar diary that Ginny had once written in during her first year. "I have it all right here…"_

Ginny opened her eyes and let out a gasp. She looked around and instantly felt relieved knowing that it was only a bad dream. Luckily, everyone was asleep and had not heard her gasp. Realizing she was still in her robes, she got out of her four-poster bed. Feeling not a slight bit tired, Ginny decided to go down to the common room to see if anyone was still awake. If not, she would go out and take a breath of fresh air. Ginny glanced at the clock, and it read 11 o'clock p.m.

Quietly, she went down the stairs that led to the common room which she found deserted. Without a second thought, Ginny opened the portrait door and climbed out.

"Where do you think you're going?" the Fat Lady asked sleepily.

Ginny ignored her and continued walking down the dark corridors. No torches were lit, for the whole school was sound asleep. The moon's pale light shone through the windows, and it was her only guide through darkness. She carefully walked down the stairs leading to the Entrance Hall. Thankfully, no one was there. Quickly, she reached the doors and breathed in the fresh air of the cool night.

Some of the gray clouds had cleared away, revealing some twinkling stars. The moon was shining brightly, lighting all the dark places across the grounds of the school. Even the Forbidden Forest seemed a bit lighter with the moon above it. Finally, Ginny felt fully relaxed and at peace. Everything faded from her mind….even her mother, and that was a first.

Closing her eyes, she again took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

"What are you doing here?" came a voice that made Ginny jump.

He was hidden in the shadows, but Ginny could still see an outline of him. The silhouette moved forward into the moonlight. She realized that it was no other than a Head Boy named Draco Malfoy.

"I have my own reasons to be out here, Malfoy." Ginny said coolly.

The silhouette chuckled and was now fully revealed under the light of the pale moon. He smirked, standing just a foot or two away from Ginny.

" It's back to Malfoy now , huh? What ever happened to calling me Draco?" he drawled.

_There's one reason to hate him again. _Ginny thought angrily to herself.

"It was never Draco. It is and always will be Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret." Ginny retorted, yet she couldn't help the smile tugging on her lips.

Draco laughed and said, " We'll see about that."

There was a pause. For a moment, they both just stared into each others eyes. Ginny wanted to forget him. She wanted to forget what he said on the train; she wanted it to be gone. It shouldn't be lingering in her mind! But again, her weakness took over, right this moment. But this time, she began to fight it.

"Malfoy," she sighed "Let's just forget about what happened on the train. I don't know why you did it, but I want to forget it. I don't want to think about it anymore."

"Why do you want to forget?" Draco asked, softly. He came closer to her, and now they were only a few inches apart.

"Because I'm infatuated by it. I believe in something that isn't true. I don't want to be heartbroken more than I am right now, Malfoy. I just want this to end before it takes over me." Ginny explained. "I've already got enough on my mind."

Draco's face was emotionless; Ginny could not tell if he was happy, sad, or mad. It was impossible. Biting the bottom of her lip, she looked down at the ground and muttered, "I should go."

Ginny swiftly walked past Draco, but he grabbed her arm.

"No, please stay."he said with a sound of desperation in his voice.

Ginny looked at him suspiciously and asked, "Why?"

"I can't sleep. Obviously, you can't either or else you wouldn't even be out here."

Ginny stared at him, speechless. Looking back at the castle, she sighed.

"Oh..alright, I guess."


	4. Falling and Failing

**_Without Trust There is No Love_**

****

**Disclaimer: I, once again, do not own anything that has to do with Harry Potter. They all belong to J.K. Rowling. I barely own the title because I got it from the movie Moulin Rouge. I own nothing except for this ridiculous plot. (Haha, I seem to insult my plot all the time…)**

**Author's Note: Woohoo! I am back with more of my boring story! readers glare and mutter 'Go away'. Heh heh. I know, my fellow readers, I love you too. . Well, if you're already on the fourth chapter that means you just LOVE my story and hungry for more! …or you just want to flame this over and over. sigh I always get my hopes down. looks away in a distance**

**Chapter 4: Falling and Failing**

When Draco had convinced Ginny to stay, relief swept over him. This was another chance, another opportunity, to just pass the first part of the test. However, he still had no idea what the second part of the test was. To tell her really he didn't love her? That would be too easy to even be true. Nonetheless, he was still going to pass and he was glad.

"Thanks." Draco said, after Ginny agreed to stay.

Ginny sighed and nodded. Draco knew that she was reluctant to stay, yet she was still willing.

"We shouldn't even be out here. Points will get taken off." Ginny said, looking around nervously.

"You didn't think about points when you came out here alone." Draco pointed out, smirking.

Ginny flushed and muttered something about not thinking. Again, a sigh was heard from her, and her eyes were cast towards the brilliant night sky. The clouds were almost fully gone; there were a few still floating around the half moon. Even if the air was cold, Draco could see that Ginny felt at ease in the night.

"And did you forget that I'm a Head Boy?" Draco asked, with a teasing tone.

"I wish you weren't, Malfoy," Ginny replied, still staring into the peaceful sky. "You abuse your power."

With a snort, he had replied. Taking her eyes off the sky, she looked at him with a small smile. It wasn't a fake smile nor a sarcastic one, but a genuine smile. Her eyes were looking into his, and it was making him feel uncomfortable. Of course, many girls have looked at him before, but not the way Ginny did. Quickly, Draco looked away from her. For some odd reason, he couldn't stand looking into her eyes. There were so many emotions in them, and he could not make any of them out.

"Well…why are you keeping me here?" Ginny asked.

Draco looked back at her, with no emotion at all. They were standing a foot or two away from each other. It was dark, and if it wasn't for the moon, Draco wouldn't have been able to see her face. By the looks of her face, she was puzzled. She wanted to know why he made her stay.

"To talk, I suppose." Draco replied, shrugging.

"Alright, then."

With that, Ginny immediately sat down on the grass she was once standing on. Draco frowned in bewilderment wondering what she was doing. Ginny tugged the end of his robe, motioning him to sit down as well.

"Are you afraid to get your robes dirty?" Ginny said.

"What the hell are you doing?" Draco asked, impatiently.

"Well, you wanted to talk. I think I'll be more comfortable sitting when we talk." Ginny answered, giving him a smile.

Draco rolled his eyes and sat down with an angry sigh. Once he sat down, he realized that the grass was wet. Instantly, he stood back up. Ginny giggled a bit, and he shot a glare at her which made her stop.

"Damn it," he cursed, "The grass is wet…ugh, now I have mud all over my robes."

Smiling, Ginny stood up, too. They were still two feet apart from each other. Draco started brushing off the back of his robes, looking very disgusted. Ginny started laughing quietly.

"Can't even get a bit of mud on you? It's not _that_ bad. You can still wash them." Ginny said, looking very amused. "I don't understand why you're making such a big deal out of it."

"Shut up, Weasley. These were new robes. But I guess you wouldn't know what it's like to have new ones because all you get is hand-me-downs from your brothers." Draco said, without thinking. Right after the last word tumbled out of his mouth, he regretted everything he just said.

Silence took over. Draco desperately wanted to apologize, but he never did apologize to anyone before. Malfoys don't apologize. The quiet tension between them began to feel very uncomfortable. Draco frantically made up what he was going to say in his mind, but Ginny spoke first:

"So, it's back to Weasley now? Whatever happened to calling me Ginny?" she said softly.

There was a pause.

"It was never Ginny. It is and always will be Weasley…" Draco teased, gently.

The way he said it, to his surprise, wasn't in a mean tone. It was in a kind, teasing tone as if trying to make her laugh. To his relief, he saw a smile form from her lips. Without realizing it, Draco had moved closer to Ginny. Now, they were only a couple of inches apart from each other. Ginny had her eyes on the ground, but Draco lifted her chin up with one hand letting her eyes look back into his gray ones.

Suddenly, nothing mattered anymore. Their names didn't matter, their hatred was gone, and the test didn't matter. Draco was failing. Deep inside of him, he knew he was. Tears formed in her eyes, but she didn't hold them back. They slowly rolled down her soft cheeks. Gently, Draco brushed them away with the back of his hand.

"Don't cry." he whispered, pulling her a bit closer.

Suddenly, Draco pulled her into a deep kiss. His hands slid down to her waist, pulling her closer to him. She didn't resist but returned the kiss. Her arms went around his neck, holding onto him. Her lips were soft against his. Together, they were in a sweet bliss. For a slight moment, Draco didn't even care about the test. All he cared about right now was Ginny and how sweet her soft lips tasted. Then, the voice of his father came into his mind.

_"If you happen to fall in love with that Weasley, I'll kill you myself."_

Instantly, Draco's mind was back on the test, but Ginny had pushed away. She backed away from him and looked at him in shock. They were now standing apart from each other, staring. Secretly, he was disappointed that she had pushed away, but he did not show it on his pale face. Secretly, he wanted his lips to be on hers, but no emotion came to his face.

"Why?" Ginny said, quietly.

"Why what?" Draco asked.

"Why are you all of a sudden like this? You're not yourself. Why are you so nice to me?" she said, staring at him with sad eyes.

"Ginny," he began.

"Just tell me why, Draco. There has to be some reason." Ginny said.

Draco didn't answer.

"What are you really doing?" Ginny said, sounding scared all of a sudden.

Draco, still not answering, took a step closer to her; she took a step back. Draco knew that Ginny was suspicious. She was realizing there was something behind all this sudden kindness. He needed to let that suspicion be erased from her. Again, he took a step closer, reaching to touch her face. She backed away from his touch, looking somewhat frightened.

"Tell me." Ginny said.

"There's nothing to say." Draco said, shortly.

There was a slight pause.

"Why are you so scared of me, Ginny?" Draco asked, quietly looking at her.

"You'd be scared too," Ginny whispered. "Knowing that you're starting to fall in love with someone you're forbidden to, knowing that this wasn't supposed to happen like this." Tears started rolling down her cheeks. "I am scared, Draco. I'm scared of falling in love with you…"

Draco felt a great joy when he heard those words. He was going to pass! It was only a day into Hogwarts, and he knew already that he was going to pass this by next week. He would show his father and to Voldemort that he was really capable of becoming a Death Eater…

"And do you love me?" Draco asked, hopefully.

"I don't know yet." Ginny said, her face stained with tears. "I don't trust you, Draco. Without trust there is no love…"

_Damn it!_ Draco thought, angrily.

Without saying another word, Ginny walked past Draco. He made a move to go after her but decided not to. That was enough for tonight. He watched her disappear into the doors of the castle. Sighing, he looked up at the night sky. It was, indeed, beautiful. The twinkling stars winked at him, reminding him of Ginny's innocent eyes.

"Why am I doing this?" he said to himself. " Why am I doing this to the Weasley?"

With another sigh, he walked towards the castle, retracing Ginny's steps. The test was getting very hard. Ginny kept being a bit fickle about everything. First, she loves him. Then, she doesn't. Why couldn't she just make up her mind?

He opened the door leading into the Entrance Hall. Inside, he saw Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, walking around. The cat looked at Draco with lamp-like eyes and hissed. Draco looked at it with disgust and was tempted to kick it; but he thought better of it. Mrs. Norris began meowing loudly, calling for Filch.

"Oh, shut up." Draco hissed, " _Silencio!_"

Immediately, the sound coming from the cat stopped but she was still moving her mouth. Draco smirked and went to the staircase that led to the dungeons. As he walked down the winding steps, he heard Filch upstairs, crying out in rage that his cat had a spell on it. He laughed quietly to himself.

When he reached the Slytherin common room, he was asked the password.

"Dementors."he muttered.

The portrait swung open and he climbed in. There was no one in the common room, to his relief. Everyone was asleep in their dormitories. The fire had died out which made the common room quite cold. Shivering, he went up to the boys' dormitory. There, he found a familiar owl waiting for him with a dreaded note from Lucius. Inwardly, Draco groaned.

He untied the note from the owl, and it gave a hoot. With that, it flew away into the night. Taking a deep breath, he opened the letter.

_Draco,_

_I'm hoping all is going well with the test. I am expecting a full report on it by the end of this week. I better see a good progress._

_--Father_

" I'll just give you a report now, ." Draco muttered under his breath. He threw the letter aside. He went over to his trunk, taking out a quill, a piece of parchment, and ink. Quickly, he scribbled a reply.


	5. Hurricane

**_Without Trust There is No Love_**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and everything belongs to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own, probably, is the plot which sucks. I do not own the part of the song "Hurricane"at the end of this chapter; it belongs to Tapping the Vein. **

**Author's Note: Yeah, well, I decided to update because I'm being pestered by Anna to continue... -- Haha. jk jk**

** UPDATE ****5/15/04****: gasp Ginny's name is NOT ****Virginia**** according to JK Rowling's website. Her real name is Ginevra! Well, there goes 102,394,830,984,093 fanfics…Haha. (www.jkrowling.com) Oh yes, and there's a bit H/Hr in here because I'm a full time H/Hr shipper, no matter what.**

**_This chapter is dedicated to Anna. Happy birthday! _**

**Chapter 5: Hurricane**

"Can anyone tell me what a Polyjuice Potion does?" asked Professor Snape.

No hands rose, and no one bothered to answer.

"No one?" Snape's lips curled.

Not wanting to get any points taken off, a few reluctant hands went up in the air. But as everyone knew, Snape would not choose the people who raised their hands. Instead, he decided to pick on the quiet ones; the ones that never raise their hands. This time, he decided to pick on Ginny.

"Miss Weasley, what does the Polyjuice Potion do?" Snape said.

Ginny turned her head away from the spot she was staring at on the wall and focused her attention on the potions master. She knew what it does because her brother, Ron, had taken it in his second year turning into Crabbe; and Harry had been turned into Goyle.

"It transforms you into another person for about an hour." Ginny said.

"And?"

Ginny stared at him. _Was there more to a Polyjuice Potion?_ Ginny thought. _No, surely, that must be it._

"And…that's it?" Ginny said, uncertainly.

"What are the ingredients, Weasley?" Snape said, obviously annoyed that Ginny did not get his question.

"Oh," Ginny said, "Well, a bit of the person you are turning into has to be added into the potion…"

"What else?"

"I don't know, sir."

Snape sneered, "Did you not read anything during the summer, Weasley?"

Ginny bit her bottom lip and said, "I wasn't aware that we had to read anything during the summer. The only thing you assigned to the class was two rolls of parchment containing an essay on the Sleeping Drought."

The class murmured and nodded in agreement. Snape narrowed his eyes at the youngest Weasley, and she could see anger flickering in his cold, black eyes.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Weasley!" he hissed. "And another five because the rest of the class agreed with her."

Ginny knew better than to the protest. Snape knew that she was right, but as always, he just took points from Gryffindor if things didn't go his way. As class went on, she found herself glaring at his stupid greasy head; secretly, she hoped someone would slip poison in his drink that night.

After Potions, she went to the Great Hall for lunch. Hundreds of Hogwarts students flooded the corridors, all hurrying to lunch, for they were all very hungry. Ginny managed to push her way through the crowd.

In the Great Hall, Ginny sat across from Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Hermione was, of course, buried inside one of the new textbooks, ahead on all the lessons. Ginny was just quietly eating her lunch, listening to Harry and Ron discussing Quidditch. A couple of times, she would bring in her opinions, but she mainly stayed quiet. Harry was made the new captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, last year, in his sixth year. Ron still held his place as keeper, and Ginny was made a Chaser during her fifth year.

"When Quidditch season starts up, we're going to be training as much as we possibly can." Harry said, determinedly. "This is our last year at Hogwarts, and the last thing I want is the Slytherins taking that cup. If we want to win, we'll have to train hard."

"I like your spirit, mate. We have to win! Those bloody Slytherins won't stand a chance against us if we train everyday." Ron said.

"What about studying for N.E.W.Ts?" Hermione said, looking up from her book and frowning.

"Forget N.E.W.Ts." Ron said.

"It's your future, Ron." Hermione said, sharply.

"Quidditch is more important than my future." Ron replied, indifferent.

Ginny laughed quietly, not looking up. When she sensed Hermione glaring at her, she quickly bit her lip to hold back the laughter. Hermione then glared at Ron and opened her mouth to say something. But Harry cut her off.

"Don't worry, Hermione," he said, reassuringly, "We'll study."

Ron scoffed, "No, we won't…"

Hermione glared at him, but she smiled at Harry and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Ron rolled his eyes and started eating his food. A few minutes passed, and thundered rumbled from the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall. Ginny looked up and saw a dark swirl of clouds forming, once again.

"I think it's going to rain fairly soon." Hermione said, looking up at the ceiling as well.

It was time to go to their next classes. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny got up from the table and left together until the reached the exit of the Great Hall. After that, they went their separate ways. By the time Ginny reached her class, she heard another loud clap of thunder and rain slapping against the class room windows.

Hours went by, professors droned on, and Ginny wanted the day to end sooner. She noticed that the rain was a gentle sprinkle now. By the time class was all over, she felt very stuffy and was in need of some fresh air. She didn't care if there was a hurricane outside. Besides, she loved the rain.

"Where are you going?" asked Ron, when she passed by the trio near the Great Hall.

"I need some air…I've got a headache." Ginny replied, lightly.

"Well, there's a bloody storm outside." Ron said, scowling.

Ginny shrugged and continued walking towards the exit. "I'll be back for dinner, don't' worry." she called out back to Ron.

The rain gently tapped on her head, as she stepped into the open air. The more she walked on, the more she felt the cold rain water sink into her robes and on her skin. Ginny smiled and leaned her back head towards the sky. Each rain drop landed on her eyelids and on her face, and they became equal with the tears that were slowly watering her eyes.

"I miss you…" she whispered to the gray sky.

To her, Mrs. Weasley was probably missing her too. The rain must be her tears. Everyone in the Weasley family was slowly moving on except for Ginny…She must have been standing at the same spot for several minutes because she was soaked to the skin. Ginny didn't seem to notice until—

"You're going to catch a bloody cold if you keep standing there in the damn rain!"

Startled by the sudden voice, she jumped and quickly turned around.

"Draco."she breathed.

He smirked, and he came closer to her.

"You're soaked…"he said.

Ginny shrugged and said, "I like the rain. It's quite nice…"

"I think you should go in. You're going to get sick." Draco said, actually sounding a bit concerned.

Ginny laughed and said teasingly, "Since when did a Malfoy ever cared about a Weasley? I'm actually surprised you're not concerned about your hair or your robes getting wet…"

Draco smirked and said, "People change in more ways than one."

"Oh, please, last night you got angry because you sat on wet grass!" Ginny said, laughing.

Draco rolled his eyes, but Ginny saw he had a smile on his face. Draco reached out and brushed a small part of her wet hair away from her face.Slowly, his smile faded when he spotted streaks of tears that had been rolling down her cheeks.

"You've been crying." he said. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah...I was just thinking, but I'm alright," said Ginny, "I think..." Ginny's voice cracked a bit, but she quickly cleared her throat to cover it.

Draco gave her a sad smile and pulled her into a hug. They stood there, speechless, under the rain comforted by each other's presence. She buried her face on his right shoulder and started sobbing. She felt her legs lose their strength, and she clung onto him as if he was her only support.

"God, I miss her so much..." Ginny choked out through her tears.

Draco hugged her closer, whispering comforting words in her ear.

The rain started pouring down harder than before. Both of them heard a loud thunder rumble. Ginny shivered.

"Now, I think we should go." Draco shouted through the rain. He grabbed Ginny's hand, and together they ran back to the castle.

Both soaking wet, they walked, hand in hand, down the Entrance Hall. Ginny's hair was dripping with water, and Draco's was too; but he didn't seem to care. Draco performed a drying spell on the both of them because he claimed that they were going to get sick, and he wasn't too fond of drinking the potion that Madam Pomfrey usually gives to sick students.

Ginny found it amusing that Draco cared so much about his health. She wiped the last of her tears and continued talking to him.

They started the conversation about normal things. Mostly, they talked about Quidditch and debated which house was going to win the Quidditch Cup this year. Somehow, that lead to the discussion of Ginny's family and Draco's family.

"My brother, Charlie, he works with dragons in Romania. And Bill works in a bank." Ginny said.

"I don't have any siblings." Draco said, after Ginny described everyone in her family.

"I noticed. What else?"

"I hate my parents."

"Why?"

"Long story."

"I've got time."

Then, realized she didn't go to dinner, as she had promised Ron.

"Oh no…" she said, suddenly.

"What?"

Ginny looked at Draco with wide eyes and said, "I didn't meet Ron at the Great Hall, and I said I would. He's going to be worried about me. What time is it?"

"Eight o'clock." Draco said, looking at his watch.

"I'm dead." Ginny said, shortly.

Ginny let go of Draco's hand, reluctantly and said, "I've got to go or Ron will be worried about me. And if he finds me with you…"

"We'll both be dead." Draco finished. "Or at least, I will."

"Well, I better get going…" Ginny said, slowly, looking at the opposite direction of the corridor.

It grew silent, and Ginny could still hear the rain pouring outside. Occasionally, she heard a rumble of thunder. Draco nodded and said he needed to go as well. Ginny bade him a good night and turned to leave. But before she took two steps, Draco grabbed her arm and pulled her into a gentle kiss.

"Good night."he said.

" 'Night." Ginny said, slightly dazed.

Then, he said, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Maybe."she said, smirking.

"Fine, I _will_ see you tomorrow." Draco said, still holding onto her arm gently and smirking. "And maybe then I'll tell you the story of how I came to hate my parents..."

Ginny laughed and felt herself flush, and she said, "You know, you've been the only comfort to me ever since my mother died…"

Draco's smile faded, and he looked a bit grave.

"Thank you, Draco, for being there." Ginny continued.

She noticed that he stiffened when she said that, but she figured she was probably imagining things. Quickly, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. She felt him put his arms around her, and she returned the warm embrace. Ginny placed her head on his shoulder and hoped she would stay like this forever.

"I'm sorry." Draco said, barely audible.

Bewildered, she looked at him and asked, "For what?"

Draco didn't answer. He gently pulled himself out of her arms and gave her a kiss on her forehead. He muttered a "good night" and headed towards the corridor, which would eventually lead to the dungeons. Still confused, Ginny shook her head and went the opposite direction, going up the stair case to the Gryffindor Tower.

"Thestrals."she said, when the Fat Lady asked for the password.

When she climbed in the portrait hole, she saw Ron, Harry, and Hermione all sitting in the common room. Apparently, they had been waiting for her. Ron looked angry and worried, but Harry and Hermione looked fairly content.

"_Where were you?_" Ron said, angrily. "You didn't come to dinner."

Ginny said, "I wasn't hungry…and I guess I just got lost in the storm…"

She noticed that she said it in a dreamy state of voice, which made Ron look very suspicious.

"_Who_ were you with?" Ron said, narrowing his eyes at her.

Harry and Hermione were looking at her too, but they did not look suspicious or angry. Instead, they exchanged glances and gave her a mysterious grin.

Ginny laughed and said, "No one… I was outside in the rain. What do you think I meant by getting lost in the storm?"

"C'mon, Ginny. You can tell _us._" Harry said, playfully. Hermione smiled and nodded, agreeing with Harry.

Ginny forced a laugh and said, "Even if I was with someone, I don't think I'd even tell you. Remember the time when you found out I was dating Michael Corner?"

Ron glared at her and said, "If you were with someone, I'll—"

"Oh, Ron!" Ginny exclaimed, almost amused by this whole situation. "I wasn't with anyone!"

"Let it go, Ron." Hermione said, "If she said she wasn't, then I don't think we should pester her about it."

Ron looked unconvinced.

" I was just outside."Ginny said, shortly. "What are you so worried about?"

"Outside for about three hours," Ron said, "Doing what?"

"Walking around in the rain…" Ginny said, thinking that it would be obvious, since she had said it three times, already.

"Fine," Ron said

Ginny rolled her eyes and made her way up the stairs to the girls' dormitories.She changed into her pajamas and crawled into her warm bed. She smiled as she thought of the things she and Draco talked about; and they way he kissed her good night.

_ I think I love him…_Ginny thought, before closing her eyes to drift off to sleep. This time, she had no nightmares of Tom Riddle because Draco Malfoy was the only thing on her mind. The only thing Voldemort could not understand was love, and he could not defeat it or break into her mind. Outside, the storm raged on, angrily. Ginny was unaffected and slept peacefully.

__

_I am breaking down_

_From breaking in_

_Give me the wings to fly_

_I am breaking down _

_From breaking in_

_Don't you see me trying _

_To ride out this hurricane?_

_Don't you see me trying _

_To ride out this hurricane..._

_Don't you see me trying?_

_I'm slit now, I'm sliding_

_Floating, flying_

_I'm ready for my fade_

_I will wait for you here_

_Because you are all I know_

_In this hurricane_

_Don't you see me trying_

_To ride out this hurricane?_

_Don't you see me trying _

_To ride out this hurricane?_

_**Tapping the Vein**_


	6. Regretting Everything

**_Without Trust There is No Love_**

****

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and any other related materials. They all belong to J.K. Rowling. I absolutely own nothing but this plot that is seriously going nowhere. I barely own the title because I got it off Moulin Rouge. Please, do not sue me. The song "Learning to Breathe" belongs to Switchfoot.**

**Author's Note: Hello, my fans! I'm back!!! :: crickets chirp, owls hoot, tumbleweed rolls by:: Hmm…well, I haven't updated in quite a while. I'm sorry. My fic here seriously died on me. I'm updating because the inspiration is still in me…and the guilt that Anna has been giving me. I swear she's using subliminal messages to make me feel guilty.**

**             "Ugh, don't you hate it when authors don't update…"  -- YES, ANNA, YOU KNOW YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT!!**

**            Anyways, this is gonna be a fast-paced moving story. I'm not going to go into ALL the minor details…I'm going to make this story as quickly as possible. Sorry. One day, I'll write a good, logical, average-paced story. In the meantime I have this, which will probably be a total of 10 to 15 chapters. .**

**_Dedicated to everyone who loves this fic, especially Anna and Melanie (I recently converted her to D/G! ::celebrates::) _****_J  _**

****

**Chapter 6: Regretting Everything**

            Draco tossed and turned on his bed. He groaned as he turned to his side and was nearly blinded by the dim light of a candle coming from an opening in the curtains. He squinted and reached over to pull the curtain over the opening. He was surrounded by darkness, now, and he stared blankly at the top of his canopy bed. In his mind, thoughts of Ginny and the test kept haunting him non-stop. And the same question recurred in his brain: what had gotten into him?

            For sure, he knew that he was probably in love with the youngest Weasley. But what did he know about love? Certainly, he had not gotten any love from his family, and he never really actually _loved_ his ex-girlfriends. But how could he, Draco Malfoy, have fallen so fast for the daughter of his father's enemy? He should hate her, like he hated the rest of the Weasleys; those Muggle-loving filth.

            Having thought that, something inside him immediately regretted it. He didn't really think that. It was Lucius that did. Wanting to follow in his father's footsteps, Draco was raised to think that. It could be called brainwashing, thought Malfoy, but he considered that it was being raised the wrong way.

            Throughout his childhood, he was taught that any witches and wizards, who were not Purebloods, were all considered worthless. They should be vanquished from the world, so that the wizarding world would be "cleansed".  Up until now, that was what Draco thought it should be like. But, from talking to Ginny, he slowly began to change his mind and realized how wrong his father was.

            He groaned again as he realized that he had already failed the test; but he didn't care if was going to become a Death Eater or not. In fact, he could care less. What really mattered was Ginny.

            Now, here he was, a Malfoy, lying in the Slytherin dormitory, thinking of a Weasley who was in the Gryffindor dormitory. Even their houses were enemies. How could fate play such a cruel game?

            After an hour or so of thinking, Draco fell asleep in the middle of his complicated thoughts.

            _He was standing in the middle of the Death Eater meeting room, which was empty of all the Death Eaters. It was dimly lit by the crackling fire at the side of him. A dark, tall, hooded figure stood before him. The silhouette's back was facing him, and the figure was holding his wand out to the side—as if it were a sword. Draco slowly drew out his wand and pointed it at the back of the silhouette. _

_            Before Draco could say anything, the silhouette walked over to the corner of the room. In the corner cowered a young girl with blood and cuts all over her face. Beads of sweat mixed with tears and blood rolled down her whimpering face. Draco looked at her, shocked. To his horror, he realized that it was—_

_            "Ginny," he whispered._

_            The figure leaned down and stroked her cheek with one pale hand. Ginny cried out in fright and tried to slap the hand away; but the hooded man caught her wrist violently. _

_            "Get away from __me.__" she choked out through her sobs._

_            For some reason, all Draco could do was watch in horror. He stood, rooted to the spot, pointing a shaking wand at the back of the man. Finally, the dark figure turned around and slowly took off the hood, revealing the face of a young man. His hair was black, and he looked pale. _

_            He smirked and said, "So you are the Draco Malfoy that Ginny has been talking about all this time."_

_            Draco looked at this stranger in bewilderment and said, "What?"_

_            "Don't you know who I am, Malfoy?" the man said, twirling his wand between his fingers._

_            Draco stared at him and averted his eyes to the wand he was twirling. He backed away, as the man put his hand in his robe pocket to take out something. It turned out to be a black leather bound book. Draco could see that, imprinted in golden letters, it said: Tom Marvolo Riddle._

_            The name rang a bell, but he could not figure out where he had heard it before._

_            "D-do I know you?" asked Draco, unsurely._

_            Riddle stopped twirling his wand and smiled wickedly. He raised his wand up, turned around, and wrote his name in fiery letters. With a whip of his wand, the letters rearranged themselves and read: "I Am Lord Voldemort"._

_            Then, he turned around. Draco stared at him in horror. He heard Ginny whimper, and he quickly looked at her. She was still cowering in the corner in blood and sobbing._

_            "Don't you remember, Draco," Voldemort said, smirking. "When I told you of Ginny Weasley and how foolish she was? Well, think back into your second year at Hogwarts. Do you remember the Chamber of Secrets? The heir of Slytherin? Yes, of course you do. Potter and his friends even assumed _you _to be the heir."_

_            Draco frowned and didn't say anything. He slowly put his wand to his side._

_            "Ginny was the one that opened the Chamber. She began writing in this diary of mine," Riddle held up the black book, "Which your father conveniently dropped into her cauldron at Diagon Alley. You didn't know, Draco? She poured her heart and soul out to me in this book. I controlled her, Draco. I owned her. She was mine."_

_            Draco felt a tinge of anger and jealousy boil inside him. He glared at this Tom Riddle and quickly raised his wand and pointed it at Riddle's chest. _

_            Through gritted teeth, he said angrily, "You don't _own _her anymore. Let her go."_

_            Tom smirked and said, "You think you can pass the test like this, Draco?"_

_            "I don't care about it anymore. Damn the test! I don't even want to become a Death Eater to follow in _your_ lead."snarled Draco._

_            "Really?" Tom said, amused. "What does your father, Lucius, think about that?"_

_            "I don't know and I don't care." _

_            "He'll kill you."_

_            "I'm not afraid of death."_

_            Tom laughed and said, "Then what are you afraid of, Mr. Malfoy?"_

_            "Nothing." Draco answered, curtly._

_            "No, I think you're lying." Riddle said, turning around and walking towards Ginny again. "I think you're afraid of Ginny being taken away from you. You're afraid she will get hurt."_

_            Draco remained silent._

_            "You love her, don't you?" Riddle said, quietly. _

_            Draco looked at the badly beaten up Ginny. She had fainted. Looking away from her, he looked back at Riddle who was staring at him in a sick amusement._

_            "Yes." he whispered.._

_            Riddle smirked and said, "She gave herself to me five years ago through the diary. She's mine."_

Draco awoke with a start with sweat rolling down from his forehead. He breathed heavily as he quickly looked around to see if it was really just a dream. He was relieved when he heard snores because it made him realize he was still in the Slytherin dormitory. He kicked his blankets off and violently pulled the curtains around his bed open. Since he was in the dungeons, it was still pretty dark. By the looks of it, it was probably pretty early or very late at night. He quickly glanced at the clock that hung on the wall, and he faintly read that it was 4 in the morning.

            Draco rubbed his temples and groaned.

            _What a hellish dream._ he thought, getting up from his bed.

            Suddenly, he started. He quickly got dressed and bolted out of the Slytherin dormitory. Having arrived in the common room, he saw that it was empty. Picking up his pace, he ran out of the common room and into a long, dark corridor. By instinct, he quickly lighted it up with his wand and continued running down the corridor. He reached a flight of winding stairs and caught his breath. Then, he ran up, two steps at a time. Luckily, it was empty upstairs.

            He arrived at the Entrance Hall. A very dim light was shone around from the windows near the ceiling. Quickly, he went down another long corridor, leading to the Gryffindor Tower. He blindly ran through the darkness, and suddenly bumped into something. Hard.

            He stumbled backwards and quickly whipped out his wand.

            " _Lumos__!_"

            The tip of his wand illuminated a bright light, and he saw what he had bumped into. Actually, _who_ he had bumped into. It was Ginny; the exact person he was looking for. He sighed with relief and helped her up. He smiled, but she looked away. Draco saw she had tears stained on her cheeks, and her eyes were red from crying. She started shaking in a fit of agitation.

            "Ginny," Draco said, concernedly, "What's wrong."

            She shook her head violently, still shaking from head to toe. Draco put his wand away and put his arms around her, hugging her tightly.  He started leading her to the Entrance Hall because he didn't want to get caught in the middle of the corridor. Quietly, with one arm still around Ginny, he opened the door and led her outside.

            "What's wrong, Ginny?" he asked again, facing her.

            Ginny looked frightened. She was averting her eyes here and there, as if she were scared something was going to jump out at her and attack. Her lip quivered and tears leaked continuously down her cheek. Again, Draco sighed and held her close to him, putting his head on top of hers. He closed his eyes and gently told her to calm down. Ginny tightened her hold on him and sobbed quietly.

            "Ginny," he said, firmly, "Tell me what happened."

            She sniffed loudly and choked out, "It was him, Draco."

            "Who?"

            "Tom." Ginny cried. "Tom Riddle."

            Draco felt his stomach lurch uncomfortably.

            "He's always in my nightmares, haunting me." Ginny sobbed. "He taunts me by showing the body of my mother…and—and this time…"

            Ginny stopped.

            "What?" pressed Draco. "What did he do?"

            A few seconds of silence went by, and Ginny exhaled shakily.

            "You were there." Ginny began in a calmer voice. "So was he. I was in a corner. And Tom, he—he hurt me..."

            Draco inhaled sharply. He had the same, exact dream. Ginny was just describing it in a nutshell.

            "It's okay, Ginny." he whispered, soothingly. "He won't hurt you anymore…"

            For a while, they remained standing in each other's arms. Ginny would occasionally sniff and try to calm down from everything. Then, Draco pushed away and took Ginny's hand, walking slowly towards the lake. The sun was just barely already rising and it already sent diamonds scattering into the lake. The giant squid appeared and then quickly disappeared when it caught sight of the two.

            Draco found it very strange and somewhat frightening that he had the same dream. Was it really the Dark Lord sending them both a message? But why would the Dark Lord waste his time sending disturbing dreams to them? Did he not have better things to do?

            _And he could just owl us if he doesn't approve of our relationship…_Draco thought, bitterly.

            Draco froze. Did he just actually say that to himself? Was he really in love with Ginny?

            He couldn't deny it. He already failed the test, so it didn't really matter anymore…

            Ginny sat down on the shore of the lake, throwing random rocks into the water. Draco remained standing and observed her. Up until now, Draco did not realize how beautiful she was. Even though her eyes were red and swollen from crying, he still thought her to be quite attractive. Draco finally sat down with her and continued looking at her.

            She sniffed and turned to face him. "What?"

            He put an arm around her and pulled her to him. Draco kissed her gently on the lips.

            "Whatever happens, I'll always be there."promised Draco.

            Ginny raised an eyebrow and said, "That was sort of random, wasn't it?"

            He shrugged and stated, "Just needed to let you know that."

            They sat in silence, watching the sun rise from its sleep slowly. Birds began singing, and the whole world was waking up. The sky became a light blue and not a cloud was in sight. Ginny sighed and leaned against Draco, closing her eyes. Draco stared down at her, silently regretting what he agreed to do to her.

            But he wasn't going to do it, he decided. She was everything to him, now. It was strange, he knew; but he couldn't help it. Ginny was like the first person that actually cared about him and talked to him like a friend.

            Suddenly, Ginny's eyes fluttered opened and she smiled at Draco. She put her arms around him.

            "But there was a very good part in my dream I didn't tell you about…"Ginny whispered in Draco's ear.

            "And what's that?" Draco asked, quietly.

            Ginny grew quiet and seemed to hesitate from answering. Her smile faded away, and she looked at Draco as if she was embarrassed to say it. Nervously, she smiled again and blushed.

            Blushing harder then ever, she said, barely audible, "In—in my dream…you said you loved me…"

_So this is the way _

_That I say I need you_

_This is the way_

_That I say I love you_

_This is the way_

_That I say I'm yours_

_This is the way_

_This is the way_

_That I'm learning to breathe_

**…::Switchfoot::..**


	7. From Nightmare to Dream

**_Without Trust There is No Love_**

****

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and any other related materials. They all belong to J.K. Rowling and Scholastic and all those other people. Basically, I own NOTHING. "Broken" belongs to Seether(feat. Amy Lee). **

**Author's Note: Hey, you may think the song doesn't really fit, but that particular verse, I thought, fit pretty well. Kind of. Oh yes, and I would love to get some more reviews. ::wink, nudge, hint:: Eh, eh? Kidding.**

**_Dedicated to Melanie because she helped me write._****_ And, of course, it's dedicated to Anna for being an awesome beta and twin._**

****

**Chapter 7: Nightmare to Dream**

Ginny quickly looked away from Draco, embarrassed at what she had just told him. From the corner of her eye, she could see Draco staring at her, but she could not tell what expression he had on. She bit her lip nervously and looked back at him. To her disappointment, Draco had an amused expression, and he looked like he was about to burst out laughing any second.

"I know it's stupid." Ginny quickly muttered. "You can go ahead and laugh all you want now."

Instead, Draco shook his head with a suppressed grin on his face. He looked away from her and stared at the great lake. Ginny looked into his eyes; the storm that he once had in his gray eyes seemed to fade away. A tinge of light blue seemed to be mixed into the gray, making him look—well, happy.

For a while, they remained in a calm silence. Neither of them had to say anything because Ginny felt comforted already by his presence. The nightmare she had was still clear in her memory, like it had been etched inside her brain. The horror was real, and the pain that she felt was also felt in reality. Closing her eyes, she began to recollect the nightmare once again.

_She was in a huge room that she had never seen before. It was dark, with the exception of a dim light coming from the crackling fire place. The floor was smooth marble and it reflected some of the light that the fire provided. Ginny was standing in the middle of the room, completely confused and somewhat frightened. Somehow, she could sense there was another's dark presence in the room with her. _

_ Instinctively, she turned around and saw a dark figure. Without seeing his face, Ginny already knew who it was. _

_ "Ginny, we meet again." Tom said, stepping slowly in the weak light._

_ Ginny did not answer him. Instead, she glared at him with the utmost hatred. Tom looked the same. He was still the sixteen year old memory; he had the same smirk, the same dark hair, and the same pale and handsome face. _

_ Tom's smile sent a shiver down Ginny's spine. She felt weak at the knees, and she was sure that they would soon give away. Slowly, he stepped closer to her. Ginny didn't move, and she began shaking with agitation and fear. For the strangest reason, she was rooted to the spot, even as Tom caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. Perhaps it was fear that made her unable to move. But something deep inside her, in the smallest corner of her heart knew that it wasn't just fear. Ginny still loved Tom._

_ "Why are you so afraid of me?" Tom asked, quietly. _

_ They were a couple of inches away from each other. Ginny still did not move._

_ "You ruined my life, Tom." Ginny whispered._

_ "The future of me did." Tom answered, simply._

_ Ginny stepped back, shaking her head in disbelief. "No, Tom." Ginny said, her voice wavering. "It's not just about my mum. My first year at Hogwarts, you used me. You lied to me. And the very _memory _of you is always haunting my dreams!"_

_ "And I suppose your precious Draco Malfoy didn't ruin your life at some points?" inquired Tom, skeptically._

_ "Why are you even asking this?" she said. "Draco has nothing to do with any of this!"_

_ Tom smiled again. He looked happy—evilly happy. Almost too happy for the young version of the present Dark Lord. _

_ "You'll see in the future." was all he said._

_ He stepped closer to Ginny, but she did not budge. He made every inch of her weak…She gazed into his cold eyes. The only question that was in her mind was: How did I fall in love with him five years ago?_

_ As if he was reading her mind, he gently said, "Because I was the only person in your life that ever understood you. And I was the only person that took all your pain away."_

_ "But why did you leave me?" Ginny asked._

_ Even in her own real thoughts, she had never imagined any of this. Ginny had never fully admitted to herself that she was in love with Tom. The love she felt for him was always blocked with a bitter hatred. Supposedly, she hated him with all her aching heart. But now, she was admitting her deepest, darkest, hidden feeling. What was she doing? What was going on with her?_

_ Tom didn't answer her. Instead, his lips met hers with a passionate kiss. His hands slid down to her waist, pulling her to him. At first, Ginny did not know how to react, but as their kiss deepened she did not push him away. But suddenly, the thought of Draco immediately raced into her mind._

_ "No."she gasped out, pushing Tom away from her._

_ There was a moment of a ringing silence. _

_ "It's Malfoy isn't it?" Tom said._

_ For some reason, Ginny had a feeling of guilt inside her. "You don't understand, Tom." Ginny tried to explain. "He's been there for me. He always has. I don't even know where you've been."_

_ Silence._

_ "I love him." Ginny declared. _

_ Tom looked at her, angrily. Ginny, on the other hand, could not believe she had just said that. But it was true. All her feelings belonged to Draco._

_ "I love him, Tom." Ginny repeated. "But you wouldn't understand that, would you? You don't even understand how to love someone. You say you care for me, but all you do is use me…"_

_ Tom took out his wand and made a slashing motion at Ginny's body. Her arm formed cuts, and they started oozing out blood. She was sure she had cuts other places too, but she did not see them. With a scream of pain, she staggered backwards. Tom violently shoved her down on the hard, marble floor. Tears formed in her eyes, as she tried to endure the pain. She quickly backed away in the corner of the room, whimpering._

_ "Ginny," he said, softly yet dangerously. "I think it's you who doesn't understand how to love. Foolish girl." He let out a small chuckle. "You don't even know whether love is real or not."_

_ The blood did not stop flowing nor did the tears. She heard someone else's footsteps, but she could not see who it was. Tom leaned down and gently stroked her bloody and tear- stained cheek. She made a move to slap his hand away, but Tom caught her wrist painfully. _

_ "Get away from __me.__" she choked out._

_ Tom turned around and faced the person who had just entered the room. _

_ "So you are the Draco Malfoy that Ginny has been talking about all this time." Tom drawled._

_ Her heart soared with hope. Draco was here! She was going to be okay! She gingerly leaned over and caught a glimpse of Draco. He was pointing his wand shakily at Tom, and he looked somewhat shocked at the fact that Tom knew his name. He asked who Tom was. Tom drew out his name and rearranged the letters into the infamous: I Am Lord Voldemort. _

_ Ginny felt dizzy. The cuts on her body were slowly draining blood away from her body. She could not do anything to stop it. Light headed, she could not really even hear what Tom and Draco were talking about. She was in a small puddle of her own blood, and she was about to pass out. But then, she heard something that caught her dizzy mind's attention._

_ "You love her, don't you?" Tom said to Draco._

_ There was a moment of silence, and she heard Draco sigh. Finally, he said in a small whisper, "Yes."_

_ She smiled weakly, and she could not help but to feel joy at the moment. But the next thing that happened made her frightened once more. She was on the verge of fainting; and before she did, she heard Tom speak:_

_ "She gave herself to me five years ago through the diary. She's mine."_

_ The world of darkness devoured her._

"I had the same dream." Draco said, quietly.

Ginny snapped out of her horrible reverie and looked at Draco.He looked back at Ginny, who looked back at him in bewilderment.

"I had the exact same dream that you had; only it was from my point of view." explained Draco.

There was a brief moment of silence, and Ginny let the fact sink in. Was it really possible to have the same dream?

"And I remember…I did confess that I love you." Draco said, a bit nervously.

Anxiously, Ginny waited. A spark of hope began to light up inside her heart, as she earnestly looked at him and waited. Draco looked at the ground for a while and finally looked back up to meet Ginny's eyes. Something was written in his eyes, and she felt that he desperately wanted to tell her. He remained silent.

Ginny looked away from him to hide her disappointment. For a while, Ginny had to control her tears from falling down. Calmly, she breathed and restrained the pain that was aching inside her heart.

"Well, it was just a dream." Ginny said, shrugging. She remembered what she had said to Tom and how she felt about him in the dream."People tend to say silly things in dreams."

Draco looked a bit perplexed when she said this, but agreed hesitantly, "Oh…yeah…I suppose they do."

Ginny looked down at the ground, so Draco wouldn't see the tears that had already swelled in her eyes. She could not see why she couldn't control this emotion. Quietly, she kept telling herself it was just an infatuation and Draco would never ever, truly love her.

Luckily, Draco had looked at the lake again, so he did not notice the silent tears, rolling down Ginny's cheeks. She bit her lip to stop the sob, but she could not. She gasped for breath, and Draco quickly looked back at her.

He put his arms around her and held her close. "What's wrong? Is it the dream?"

Ginny pushed him away and said angrily, "I was thinking of the part where you said you loved me. And—and I'm crying because I know you never will."

Ginny wiped some tears away with her sleeve and continued, "It's pathetic, I know. But I can't help what I feel and—"

Suddenly, Draco leaned over and gave Ginny a gentle kiss. She felt that the kiss spoke every word that Draco had in his eyes. It was not like the kiss they had before. Somehow, she felt that this kiss was genuine and came from real feelings. Draco firmly gripped her shoulders and pulled her closer towards

He pulled away and whispered fiercely, "I love you, Ginny, and I always will."

Through her tears that had now turned to joy, she smiled. Without any further talk, her lips met his again. The feeling she felt could not be described. It was relief. It was happiness; perhaps even bliss. But one thing she knew for sure: it was love.

They broke apart, and Draco wrapped his arms around Ginny. She leaned against his chest, and the last of her tears fell away. She felt Draco kiss the top of her head and rest his head there.

Quietly, Ginny said, "I love you too Draco."

Draco drew in a sharp breath, and he said, "I thought if there was no trust, there isn't any love."

Ginny smiled and said, "Well, maybe I trust you now. I trust you more than anyone in the world right now."

Ginny felt Draco stiffen. She looked at him, frowning and asked what was wrong. He quickly shook his head indicating that it was nothing. Again, their lips met. The kiss was short and quick. Ginny leaned against him and closed her eyes. Draco twirled strands of her hair between his fingers. They grew silent. Words weren't needed right now.

The sun was still slowly rising, and Ginny guessed that it was probably 5 in the morning. No one would be awake until seven. She was glad that they still had two hours together. A cold breeze blew by, which made Ginny snuggle closer to Draco. He hugged her closer to him.

Something was missing. She could feel it. Slowly, she put her hands into her robe pockets. Her wand was gone. Frantically, she pushed away from Draco, which made him stare at her in question.

"Oh, damn."she whispered, feeling around her robes and her other pockets.

"What is it?" Draco said.

"My wand."she muttered, still looking around her. "It's gone. It must've dropped out of my robes when we bumped into each other in the corridors."

Ginny made a move to get up, but Draco stopped her. Instead, he got up. Ginny looked at him, bemused. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. She opened her mouth to say something, but Draco cut her off.

"You stay here." he said. "I'll get it."

"What—No, it's alright, Draco." Ginny said, standing up. "I can get it. I know where it is…"

"And so do I." Draco pointed out.

"You don't have to," Ginny began.

Draco waved his hand impatiently and said, "I'll get it, Gin. You've had a long night…with the nightmare about Riddle or whatever."

"So did you." Ginny pressed.

"Well, I'm not scared of him, am I?" Draco said, raising an eyebrow. "I wasn't the one who was nearly frightened half to death."

Ginny knew he was joking, so she laughed. Before she could protest, Draco already began walking towards the castle. He turned around, walked backwards, and gestured to Ginny that he'd be back in a minute. Ginny decided that he was right; she did have a long night. With a sigh, she dropped back down on the ground, staring at the lake. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

_The worst is over now_

_And we can breathe again_

_I want to hold you high_

_And steal my pain away_

_There's so much left to learn_

_And no one's left to fight_

_I want to hold you high_

_And steal your pain_

**..Seether..**

**::..Amy Lee..::**


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